QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) – In response to the letter sent by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno regarding the seven judges allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he may declare martial law if the Supreme Court will hinder his efforts against the eradication of the illegal drug trade.
Sereno earlier stated that the seven judges should not surrender to the police if they do not have a warrant of arrest.
Presidential Communications Secretary Andanar said that this was not what the President had said in his speech. The President did not say that the judges would be arrested by the police. What he told the judges in his speech was that they should surrender or report immediately to the Supreme Court.
Andanar said that the President was irritated that the Supreme Court chief justice misunderstood the President’s message.
“When the President referred the named judges on his consolidated list to the Supreme Court, he was acknowledging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over the judges,” he said.